Storage containers in which relatively small or fragile objects can be stored in a loading space of a motor vehicle in a clearly organized and safe fashion are generally known. In particular in relatively large limousines and similar classes of vehicle a (rear) loading space has a large extent, in particular also a large depth, which is not suitable to the same degree for all objects. Storage containers which are arranged in the loading space and which have the purpose of storing relatively small and/or sensitive objects can significantly increase the useful value of the loading space here.
Such storage containers are attached in a displaceable fashion, for example, on the underside of a rear tray in a storage position, and for the purpose of loading or unloading they can be extended into a loading or unloading position. The storage containers are generally used only for a certain time or temporarily.
The unpublished document DE 10 2006 013974.7 discloses a storage container for use in a loading space of a motor vehicle which can be attached to the underside of a rear tray, and for the purpose of loading or unloading can be moved into a loading and/or unloading position, wherein the storage container comprises a frame, a supporting surface and at least one essentially inelastic side wall which connects the supporting surface to the frame, and wherein the side wall is deformable with the result that the height of the storage container can be varied. The side wall is formed here in one refinement by means of a plurality of roller blinds which are each attached in such a way that they can be wound onto and unwound from a winding shaft.
An object of the invention is to increase the safety of a corresponding storage container.
This object is achieved by means of a device for storing objects in a loading space of a motor vehicle having a storage container which can be attached to the loading space of the motor vehicle, wherein the storage container has a supporting surface and a wall which can deform at least partially elastically and/or inelastically, and in order to change the volume of a storage compartment a height of the wall can be changed at least in certain sections by an adjustment device comprising at least one winding shaft, the adjustment device has at least one detachable securing device, and a rotational movement of the at least one winding shaft can be locked by means of the detachable securing device for the purpose of transportation, with the result that at least a lengthening of the wall is prevented during transportation.
The height of the wall is dependent, for example, on the weight of an object which is accommodated by the storage container. During travel, in particular in the event of shocks or vibrations to the motor vehicle due to unevenness of an underlying surface, corrugations in the ground or in the event of extreme braking interventions and/or acceleration interventions, forces which lead to lengthening of the wall may act on the storage container. According to the invention, a securing device reliably prevents a rotational movement of the winding shaft, and therefore undesired lengthening.
In one advantageous refinement of the invention, the securing device comprises at least one damping element for cushioning load peaks. The damping element absorbs forces acting due to strong shocks, for example as a result of corrugations in the ground, and therefore prevents acting forces resulting in damage to the components.
In a further refinement of the invention, the securing device comprises at least one beveled ratchet wheel which engages in a complementary beveled wheel which is arranged in a rotationally fixed fashion on the winding shaft, in order to block the rotational movement of the winding shaft. By pressing the beveled wheel, which is provided on the winding shaft, against the beveled ratchet wheel, the rotational movement of the winding shaft is blocked. If two teeth of the beveled wheels strike against one another when the beveled wheel is pressed against the beveled ratchet wheel, in one embodiment the winding shaft is rotated slightly during the pressing process with the result that the teeth of the beveled wheel of the winding shaft come to rest in corresponding intermediate tooth spaces of the beveled wheel on the vehicle, and vice versa. In one advantageous refinement, the axes of the beveled wheels are arranged essentially perpendicular to one another in this context.
In one development of the invention, the beveled ratchet wheel is arranged in a rotationally fixed and axially displaceable fashion on a second winding shaft opposite a beveled wheel which is connected in a rotationally fixed fashion to the second winding shaft. Displacing the beveled ratchet wheel in the direction of the beveled wheel of the second winding shaft causes the beveled wheel of the first winding shaft to be clamped between the beveled ratchet wheel and the beveled wheel of the second winding shaft with the result that the first winding shaft and the second winding shaft are prevented from rotating. In one refinement, the beveled wheels of the first and second winding shafts are arranged in such a way that movement of the winding shafts is synchronized. In one embodiment, a displacement of the beveled ratchet wheel in order to clamp the beveled wheel of the first winding shaft occurs counter to the force of a force element, in particular counter to the force of a spring. In this context, in an unloaded state the force element prevents the rotational movement from being undesirably locked. The spring element is preferably arranged coaxially to the displacement direction of the beveled ratchet wheel in this context.
In one development, the damping element is a damper, in particular a rubber damper, which is arranged between the beveled ratchet wheel and the beveled wheel of the second winding shaft. A corresponding damping element prevents load peaks which act on the storage container due, for example, to shocks resulting from corrugations in the ground or the like from being absorbed by the teeth of the beveled wheels.
In another refinement of the invention, the securing device comprises an arbor which is mounted on the vehicle in an essentially rotationally fixed fashion and which can be introduced into a pitch circle which is arranged in a rotationally fixed fashion on the winding shaft, in order to block the rotational movement of the winding shaft. In one refinement, the pitch circle is arranged in such a way that the holes are distributed in the circumferential direction. A grid of the pitch circle is preferably regular here. In one advantageous refinement, the arbor is mounted fixed to the vehicle so as to be axially displaceable counter to the force of a restoring element. If, in a corresponding refinement, the arbor does not directly coincide with a hole in the pitch circle when the insertion process is carried out, the arbor is displaced or pressed in through the pitch circle. If the winding shaft rotates owing to a shock or the like, the arbor latches into the adjacent or subsequent hole owing to the force of the restoring element.
In yet another refinement of the invention, the securing device comprises an arbor which is mounted on the vehicle in an essentially rotationally fixed fashion and has an at least partially non-rotationally symmetrical outer contour and which can be introduced into a complementary cutout on the winding shaft extending in the axial direction, in order to block the rotational movement of the winding shaft. A rotational movement of a coaxially arranged winding shaft can easily be blocked by means of the arbor.
In one development of the invention, the damping element of the securing device is part of the mount for the arbor on the vehicle. The load peaks which occur owing to shocks can as a result be essentially absorbed before they act on the storage container.
In one refinement of the invention, the storage container in the vehicle can be mounted in such a way that it can be displaced along a plane which is essentially parallel to the floor of the vehicle, in particular in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, wherein by displacing the storage container into a storage position the winding shaft is blocked by the securing device on the vehicle. In one refinement of the invention, through displacement the arbor is inserted into the pitch circle and/or into the cutout on the winding shaft. In another refinement, pushing the storage container into the storage position presses the beveled ratchet wheel against the beveled wheel of the first winding shaft in order to prevent the rotational movement. In both refinements, the user can carry out a simple locking process during the pushing in operation without further maneuvers. For displaceable mounting, in one refinement the storage container has a rail guide, in particular a telescopic rail guide or a cage rail guide.
The object is also achieved by means of an extension-limiting device which limits the maximum extension movement of the winding shaft. In particular when relatively heavy objects are placed in the storage container, the volume of a storage compartment can be increased greatly owing to the acting weight. In order to prevent the resulting acting forces being absorbed at a connection of the wall to the winding shaft, the invention provides an extension-limiting device. In one refinement of the invention, the extension-limiting device comprises at least two intermeshing gearwheels which are connected to one another by means of an elongate element such as a cable, a belt or the like, in particular a flat belt, wherein the maximum extension movement is determined by the length of the elongate element. In one refinement, the belt is at least partially resilient with the result that the belt dampens the movement at the end points of the movement.
In another refinement of the invention, the extension-limiting device comprises a transmission having at least two, in particular three, intermeshing gearwheels, wherein a rotational angle of at least one gearwheel is limited by a stop. The movement-limiting means of one of the gearwheels of the transmission also blocks a movement of the remaining gearwheels of the transmission. Suitable transmission ratios between the gearwheels make it possible here for a gearwheel of the transmission which is connected directly to the winding shaft in a rotationally fixed fashion to carry out a plurality of revolutions, while a gearwheel which interacts directly with the stop carries out less than one full revolution, for example only a ¾ revolution or less. The teeth of the transmission permits a certain degree of damping of acting forces to be achieved here. In another refinement, the stop is configured with a damping element.
In yet another refinement of the invention, the extension-limiting device comprises a Maltese cross transmission having a spigot. The spigot permits here a rotational movement of the winding shaft in the extension direction and/or winding-on direction to be prevented. Depending on the configuration of the spigot and/or an associated stop, damping can be implemented when the components strike one another.
In a development of the invention, the at least one winding shaft has a winding spring, wherein the wall is lengthened counter to the force of the winding spring. The winding spring, for example a customary spring storage arrangement, permits the storage container to be easily reduced in size when not in use. In this context, no further attachment means are required to clamp the storage container. However, in individual applications additional attachment means may be appropriate.
In one refinement of the invention, a brake device is provided which acts counter to a force of the winding spring in order to brake a rotational movement of the winding shaft, in particular in order to reduce or to prevent said rotational movement. This can apply to both directions of the winding shaft or just to one direction. As a result, lengthening or pulling back into the position of rest can be braked, even as far as zero. A rotational movement of the winding shaft in order to increase the volume of the storage compartment by lengthening the wall is brought about, for example, by the weight of an applied object. However, the force can also be applied by a user in a manual fashion and/or by means of an actuating device such as an electric motor. The brake device according to the invention is provided for securing the volume of the storage compartment independently of the weight of the object. In advantageous refinements, the securing device for securing a volume of the storage compartment during transportation and the brake device for defining a volume of the storage compartment are embodied separately. However, the devices can have common components. In other refinements, the devices are embodied in a common fashion. In one refinement, the brake device can be released by means of a servomotor or the like. A silicone brake may be provided as a brake device.
In one refinement of the invention, the brake device comprises a loop brake and/or a ratchet drive. The term loop brake is used here to refer to a brake which functions by utilizing the frictional force and in which a roller or reel has a belt or the like wrapped around it. Corresponding brake devices are easy to manufacture and permit the volume of the storage compartment to be fixed in a secure fashion.
In one further refinement of the invention, the wall comprises at least one deformable surface structure which is arranged on the winding shaft in such a way that it can be wound on and unwound. The wall can comprise, for example, two side walls located opposite one another, with one side wall being rigid and the second side wall being configured as a flexible surface structure which can be wound onto or unwound from the winding shaft. Through a winding on or unwinding process it is possible here for the supporting surface to be positioned obliquely while at the same time the volume of the storage compartment is changed. In another refinement, the two side walls are configured as a common surface surface, in which case the supporting surface can be mounted in a floating fashion on the surface structure. In advantageous refinements, the wall comprises two, three or four side walls which surround a rectangular base surface. The side walls are each attached to a winding shaft here.
In one development of the invention, the surface structure is connected to the winding shaft by means of beading. The connection to the beading permits the flexible surface structure to be securely attached to the winding shaft, and in one refinement the flexible surface structure functions itself as an extension-limiting means. Alternatively, the surface structure can also be connected to the winding shaft in a materially joined fashion, in particular by bonding.
In one refinement of the invention, the device comprises at least two synchronized winding shafts which are arranged at an angle to one another, in particular at a right angle to one another, wherein a deformable surface structure is arranged such that it can be wound onto and unwound from each winding shaft. The winding shafts are synchronized here, for example by means of complementary beveled wheels. It is conceivable here, for example, that a winding shaft is driven by a servomotor, in particular by an electric motor. The movement is transmitted to the further winding shafts by the synchronization means, in particular the beveled wheels.
In a further refinement of the invention, surface structures which adjoin one another can be connected to one another by means of a re-closeable and re-openable closing element, in particular a zip fastener, wherein the closing element is closed when the surface structures are unwound.
In one refinement of the invention, a stopper is provided for limiting the opening movement of the closing element, in particular the zip fastener.
In another refinement of the invention, a holder for a zipper of a zip fastener is manufactured from a flexible material, in particular from a plastic or a wire hoop. This permits a change in the diameter of the winding shaft with the surface structure wound onto it or unwound from it to be compensated.
In a further refinement of the invention, the wall is configured such that it can be at least partially folded, wherein a mechanism for folding the wall comprises at least one linear element such as a belt, a cable or the like, which is mounted on the winding shaft. In other words, the wall is embodied as a folding bellows. A height of the wall is determined here by the free length of the linear element. Winding on the linear element permits a folding-up process.
In a further refinement of the invention, the wall comprises at least two hard shells which can be stacked one in the other, wherein a mechanism for stacking the hard shells one in the other comprises at least one linear element such as a belt, a cable or the like, which is mounted on the winding shaft. In other words, the wall is configured in a telescopic fashion, at least in certain sections. A height of the wall is determined here by the free length of the linear element.
In a further refinement of the invention, a frame of the storage container is formed at least partially by means of the at least one winding shaft.
Further advantages of the invention emerge from the following description of exemplary embodiments of the invention which are illustrated schematically in the drawings. Uniform reference symbols are used for identical or similar components in the drawings. All of the features and/or advantages which can be found in the claims, the description or the drawings, including structural details, spatial arrangements and method steps, can be essential to the invention either independently or in a wide variety of combinations. Features which are described or illustrated as part of an exemplary embodiment can likewise be used in another exemplary embodiment in order to obtain a further embodiment of the invention.